Carpet fastener



April 22, 1941- R. M. ROBERTS 2,238,946

CARPET FASTENER Filed April 11, 193s [/v V/VTOR Roy M Rosa/Qns PatentedApr. 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT' oFFlcl-z CARPET FASTENER Roy M.Roberti, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 11, 1938, Serial No. 201,265

8Claims.

My invention relates to the art of laying carpets and is directed to animproved form of carpetsecuring device.

Carpet laid over suitable resilient padding to cover the :door in anomce building, for example, is usually tacked down along its margin.Such means for securing a carpet is not wholly desirable because theprocedure involved is relatively slow, because depressions in the carpetcaused by the tacks form dir-t traps adjacent the wall of a room, andfinally. because subsequent removal of the carpet requires excessivelabor and invariably results in damageto the carpet.

A general object of my invention is to provide a carpet-anchoring meansin strip form adapted for both emcient engagement with the carpet andeflicient attachment` to the floor. It is my purpose in providing such astrip to save time in laying carpet, to eliminate depressions at pointswhere the carpet is engaged, and to provide a carpet-retaining meansthat may be readily removed without damage to the carpet.

While such a carpet fastening strip may be nailed or otherwise anchoredto the oor, it is desirable' where the carpet is to be laid on. a cementfloor to employ glue for holding down the strip thereby avoiding .damageto the cement surface. I have found, however, that a strip substantialenough to hold a carpet under tension and thick enough to match thepadding under the carpet is not ordinarily exible enough to followclosely the inevitable irregularities in a cement'surface, even when thestrip is made of the lightest wood. The strip tends to bridge extensiveareas, touching only high points of the floor surface. This bridgingeiect is important because a glue bond effective for my purpose may behad only if the opposing surfaces lie close to each otheroversubstantially the whole area of the strip.

An important object of my invention is to solve this diiiiculty. Mysolution is characterized by the concept that a relatively thickanchoring means may be made locally flexible to the required degree bysimply forming 'therein one or more recesses preferably in lateraldisposition across one or both faces of the strip. In one form of myinvention such transverse recesses are cut in the wooden strip on theJob at positions required for the configuration of a particular floor,the recesses being, for example, simply channels or kerfs on a face ofthe strip cut with a saw. In another form of my invention the strip asmanufactured is provided with such recesses at sumciently closeintervals to permit the strip to approximate any degree of irregularityin a cement floor to be met in practice, the strip having a segmentalcharacter.

I have found that a wooden strip of ordinary quality may have anundesirable tendency to split when so cut, especially if the wood iscrossgrained to any degree. A feature of my invention is the concept ofbuilding a composite strip with layers of material selected for specificfunctions, a primary layer having the function o! bending with notendency to split or break. Thus, the primary layer may be of relativelyhigh quality straight-grained wood and relatively cheap wood or othermaterial may be used for the remaining secondary layer or layers, thelatter serving merely as a spacer means to insure thickness in thecomposite strip to match the padding under the carpet, and serving alsoto stillen the primary layer edgewise. In the forms of my anchoringstrip having recesses, such recesses may extend only through thesecondary layers of the strip, dividing such layers into segments thatare individually bonded to the primary layer. An advantage of such aconstruction, aside from the obvious saving in cost, is that the stripis not weakened to any important degree by cutting through its secondarylayers, since the strength of the strip is in the primary layer andsince cutting the secondary layer transversely does not materiallyaifect the function of stiifening the primary layer.

In the employment of a carpet fastener here involved, the tension of thecarpet is transmitted to prongs or other retaining means extending fromthe upper face of the strip, the resulting moment tending to tilt orrotate the strip laterally. Ordinarily, this moment must be taken intoconsideration in providing means to anchor the strip to the iloor, sincea more effective anchorage is necessary to withstand such moment thanmerely to keep the strip from sliding in response to an equivalentedgewise stress. The diii'erence is particularly noticeable when glue isemployed because a glue bond, even when the glue is dry, is vulnerableto any stress that tends to peel the glued surfaces apart.

An object of one form of my invention is to relieve the means forattaching the strip to the floor from such a moment by providing meansassociated with the outer edge of the strip to engage the wall of theroom in opposition to such moment, so that the tension of the carpet isconverted into the equivalent of a simple horizontal stress on thefloor-engaging means.

A further object of my invention, where glue is relied upon to anchorthe strip, is to provide for exposure of the glue coating to air in theinterest of rapid drying, such exposure being provided by vent aperturesthrough the strip and also bythe transverse recesses when such recessesare on the lower face of the strip.

Finally, I propose to provide a construction for my invention that isinexpensive in material and is adapted for rapid manufacture. l

The above and other objects of my invention will be apparent in thedetailed description to follow, taken with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of my invention employed in aroom having a wooden iloor;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the carpet fastener illustratedin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing a modied form of my inventionapplied to a cement floor;

Fig. 4 is a section through the carpet and floor taken as indicated bythe line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing how the segments lof this second form ofmy invention accommodate themselves to irregularities in the floorsurface;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the carpet fastener illustrated in Figs. 3 and4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of a double pointed tackemployed in the preferred forms of my invention; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through a earpet-fastening stripshowing a special form o prong for engaging a carpet.

Fig. 1 shows a corner portion of a room having a wooden floor I0 andwalls around which extends a baseboard I2. 'I'he carpet I3 is laid overa resilient pad or cushion I4 and is marginally secured around the roomby one form of my carpetfastening strip I5.

The strip I5 may be either plain or laminated in construction, thelaminated form being shown, and is provided with a plurality ofcarpet-engaging means, such as prongs I6, that extend upward from theupper face of the strip, the prongs being by preference inclined towardthe outer edge I1 of the strip. These prongs may comprise simply bradsor headless nails I8 driven through the strip from the lower side inslanting disposition as indicated in Fig. 2. Any suitable means may beprovided for attaching the strip I5 to the wooden floor I0; for example,the strip may be provided when manufactured with a plurality of suitablyspaced holes I9 to receive nails 20. Preferably, the outer edge I'I ofthe strip is provided with means to engage the wall member or base-board|2 for the purpose of preventing the strip from tilting or vrotatingaway from the wall. Such means may comprise a plurality of doublepointed tacks or nails 2|, each of which has a central flange or head22, as best shown in Fig. 6.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the carpet-retaining strip I5 is ofapproximately the same thickness as the pad I4. In a typical procedureof employing my invention in laying a carpet, sections of the strip I5are lightly hammered or otherwise moved against the base-board I2 withsuflicient force to cause penetration of the nails 2|, the strip beingsubsequently anchored to the floor by the vertically disposed nails 20.The pad I4 is then cut to cover the area dened by the inner edges of thecarpet-retaining strips, the pad abutting the strips. The carpet I3 ofthe dimensions for a particular room is then laid over the pad Il andthe margins of the `carpet are hooked over the prongs I6. Finally, abase-shoe 23 is assembled 75 to the base-board I2 to conceal the edgesof the carpet.

Such an installation is accomplished with minimum labor and provides aneiiicient anchorage for the carpet.

Figs. 3 to 5 show a second form of my invention particularly applicableto laying carpets on cement floors where it is desirable to employ gluefor anchoring the strip to keep from marring the cement nish. In thisparticular form of my invention the conception of a laminated strip isimportant. A laminated strip, generally designated 25, comprises aprimary layer 26 and two secondary layers 21. The primary layer bypreference forms the top face of the strip rather than the bottom faceand, by preference, is made of a good grade of lumber with the grainrunning lengthwise of the strip.

Since the laminated strip 25 is to be anchored to the concrete floor 29by a layer of glue 28, no vertical nail holes are necessary. The strip25 is providedwithaplurality of prongs I6, as previously described, andpreferably also has the plurality of nails 2| in its 'outer edge toengage the baseboard I2. 30 preferably two to four inches apart extendthrough both the secondary layers 21 up to the primary layer 26, so thatthe resistance to bending at the slots is provided only by the primarylayer. It is contemplated that the primary layer will be suilicientlyflexible to permit the individdual segments 32 of the strip taccommodate themselves to the local configuration of the floor surface.f

Fig. 4 indicates in a somewhat exaggerated manner a shallow valley ordepression in the floor 29, the lower pointI of the valley beingapproximately at the point 33, the high points at each side of thevalley being approximately at 34 and 3|. Without the iiexural slots 30,the carpet-fastening strip 25 would kbridge this depression instead oflaying suiciently close to the floor throughout its length to permit aneii'ective bond of glue. These slots may be cut at regular intervalswhen the strip is manufactured, as shown in Fig. 4, in which case theworkmen need pay no particular attention to the location of high and lowspots.- If the strip, however, is not provided with transverse slots inthe course of its manufacture, the workmen merely decide from the mannerin which the strip rests on the oor at which points such slots arerequired. For example, the workmen may decide to have one slot at point33, the low point of the valley, so that even better contact with thefloor in that vicinity would be possible than shown in the drawing.Nevertheless, such slot-cutting operations on the job are time-consumingand may be avoided by relying on the factory-cut slots of a segmentedstrip with no special attention to where high and low points are locatedon a given floor.

It will be noted that the flexural slots permit air to reach substantialareas of the glue coating under the fastening strip. For additionalventing of the coating to promote rapid drying of the glue, I mayprovide apertures 24 through the strip as shownin Fig. 5. It will benoted that these apertures are spaced intermediate the flexural slots sothat no sealed portion of the glue coating is more than a certainminimum' distance from a ventilated zone.

A feature of a laminated strip with the primary layer uppermost asdescribed is that the lowermost secondary layer may be made of softwood.The lower surface of the strip may then Transverse recesses or exuralslots be readily defaced or roughened in the course of manufacture toprovide fibrous projections for engagement with the glue. I have foundsuch engagement provided by a roughened strip to be desirable forholding the strip in conformity to the configuration of the floor untilthe glue dries. In most installations a smooth-faced strip would beinoperative unless carefully weighted down until the glue dries.

In Fig. 'l I show a carpet-retaining strip 35 that may be employedacross doorways where there is no base-shoe to prevent the carpet frombecoming disengaged. The prongs 36 have conical pointed heads 31providing annular shoulders 38. When the carpet I3 is forced onto theseprongs, the woven fabric at the back of the carpet is penetrated by theprongs and is held in a positive manner by engagement with the shoulders38 of the prongs.

The specific forms of my invention, described in detail for the purposeof this disclosure and to illustrate the principles of my conception,will suggest to those skilled in the art various changes andmodifications. I reserve the right to all such changes and modificationsthat come within the spirit of my invention and the scope of my appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carpet fastener comprising: a plurality of layers of materialconstituting a laminated strip adapted to lie along a floor and to beanchored thereto, one of said layers being a. primary layer providingone face of the strip, the remaining layers being secondary layers, saidprimary layer being made of wood with the grain thereof runninglengthwise of the strip, whereby the secondary layers may be cut intosegments interconnected by the primary layer to increase the flexibilityof the strip locally whereby the various segments may be givensufilcient freedom to conform with irregularities in the door; and aplurality of carpet-engaging means extending upward from said strip.

2. A carpet fastener comprising: a strip adapted to be glued to a oor toretain the edge of a carpet, said strip having a plurality of spacedrecesses across its lower face to facilitate flexure of the strip toconform with irregulariti in the floor surface and to promote drying ofglue under the strip. said strip being apertured also to promote dryingof the glue; and carpet-engaging means extending upward from the uppersurface of said strip.

3. A carpet fastening device formed with a strip of flexible material, aplurality of spaced blocks carried by said strip. and anchoring elementsextending through the blocks and strip and protruding above the upperface of said device for securing a carpet thereto. said device havingalower face provided with adhesive material whereby to secure saiddevice to a floor.

4. A device of the character described. comprising a strip of flexiblematerial, a plurality of spaced blocks secured to the under face of saidstrip, and anchoring elements extending through the blocks and strip andprotruding above the upper face of said strip for securing a carpetthereto, said blocks having lower faces provided with adhesive materialwhereby to secure said blocks fixed to a floor. V

5. A carpet fastener comprising: an elongated body adapted to be gluedto a floor to retain the edge of a carpet, said body being apertured topromote drying of glue under the body; and a plurality ofcarpet-engaging means extending upward from the upper surface of saidbody.

6. A prefabricated carpet fastening means for attachment to a floor andadapted to have the edge of a carpet secured thereto without tacking,comprising: a narrow strip of Wood having a thickness approximatelyequal to that of the padding which is to underlie the carpet being laid,said strip having a series of prongs xedly l mounted therein, saidprongs projecting upwardly from one side of said strip, said strip beinglaminated with the grain of at least one lamina extending transverselyof the grain of another lamina, said laminae being bonded together,whereby said strip resists splitting during fabrication when saidclosely spaced prongs are introduced therein and also resists splitting,after attachment to said floor, when subjected to transverse pull due totension on the carpet during the carpet laying operation.

7. A prefabricated carpet fastening means for attachment to a floor andadapted to have the edge of a carpet secured thereto Without tacking,comprising: a narrow strip of wood having a thickness approximatelyequal to that of the padding which is to underlie the carpet being laid,said strip having a series of nails extending substantiallytherethrough, said nails being closely spaced and being driven into saidstrip and having pointed ends projecting upwardly -from the upper sideof said strip, said strip being laminated with the grain of at least onelamina extending transversely of the grain of another lamina, saidlaminae being bonded together, whereby said strip resists splittingduring fabrication when said closely spaced nails are driven thereintoand also resists splitting, after attachment to said door, whensubjected to transverse pull due to tension on the carpet during thecarpet laying operation.

8. A prefabricated carpet fastening means adapted to be nailed to afloor and to have the edge of a carpet secured thereto without tacking,comprising: a narrow strip ofwood having a thickness approximately equalto that of the padding which is to underlie the carpet being laid. saidstrip having a series of inclined nails extending substantiallytherethrough, said nails being closely spaced and being angularly driveninto said strip from one side thereof and having the pointed endsthereof projecting upwardly from the opposite side of said strip, saidstrip being laminated with the grain ot at least one lamina extendingtransversely of the grain of another lamina, said laminae being bondedtogether, whereby said strip resists splitting during fabrication whensaid closely spaced nails are driven thereinto and during the nailing ofsaid strip to the door, and also resists splitting, after 'attachment tosaid floor, when subjected to transverse pull d ue to tension on thecarpet during the carpet laying operation.

ROY M. ROBERTS.

